Liquid-feeding apparatus



Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFI-cE.

JOHN n. BoLLINe, or cursado, innrnois, Assieiion. `fro niainesrsrnivraino., vor

cnicaeo, Inninois, a conronarron or Inninors.

yLIQT TlD-FlllEDING AIPARTUS.

Application led April 10, 1925; SeralNo. 225049.@I

`his invention relates to liquid feeding` devices, and more .particularly to vacuum feeding apparatuses forlliquid fuel.

The main objectsof this inventionare t0 provide a vacuum feeding apparatus Whereinthe vacuum tank is locatedV below the/level of theliquid supply to provide` improved.

means for automatically breaking the. siphon betiveen the supply reservoir and the vacuum tank after eac-h operation of replenishiiig the latter; to provide a vacuum feeding system wherein the customary objectionable float valve has been. eliminated from the chamber to vvh-ic'h the liquidv Hows from the vacuum. tank; and to provide a .vacuum feeding appaia-tus of this kindvvhich is particul arly 'adapted .forf usey in feedingy liquid fuelto the voil burnerof a heating plant or similar equipment.v f

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein l Fig. l is a side elevation of a liquid feeding apparatus towhich thisv invention. is applied, part of a building being shown in section. n

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionv of a vacuum tank used in carrying out Athis invention.y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailof the coupling between the air" and liquidfpassages.

Vacuum` feeding systems' have long been in general use for' lifting liquid from a supf ply reservoir to a vacuum tank located above the level of the liquidfin the reservoir. in such prior vacuum systemsthe-vacuum tank has been arranged to discharge its contents by gravity to a lower receiving chamber, such as a burner, carbureter and the like,

l and the admission of liquid to the receiving chamber has been controlled by'a float valve.

Gravity feeding systems have also been in.

common use for feeding liquid'fuelto oil burners and the like wherein a float valve in the receiving chamber has controlled the ad-` of the `fuel column varies `between compara.- tively Wide limits, thereby' rendering conetantv level conditions at' the burneriiozzle. practically impossible. i Y

lin installing oil lnirning heatingsystems in old buildings, the supply reservoir, ,for the sake of convenience, is generally. mounted on the floor so as to avoid the laborand expense of sinking it into the ground lbeloivthefloor level. 'ln such cases, Wherey atvacuuin feed has been employed, .it has been necessary cov heretofore to arrange the vacuunitank near A the ceiling, or in some other'plac'e above. the highest level ofthe liquid'ink the reservoir, so as to prevent the formation ,of a siphon in the liquidpassage between the reservoir andV the Vvacuum tank. In placing the 'vacuum'. tank above the level ofthe burner or other outlet, it-has been necessary to kcontrol, the admission of fuel to the latterb means of the objectionable float valve. f

The above mentioned objectionable fea-r tures of. the vacuum and gravit-y feeding systems heretofore in use have been'overco-me by applicants improved liquid feeding apparatus, which avoids the use of afloat valve at the burner or other receiving chamber, and Which maintains a substantially uniform head on the liquid at the nozzle. or other outlet. l I l' i' 'i In the specific form of applicants im: proved liquid feeding apparatus" herein shown, the liquid isfdraWn from a main supply reservoir to a vacuum tank located below the level of the liquid inthe reservoir.l rlhe vacuum tank is constructed so that the liquid levelk of its storage compartment varies only slightly 'duringr the operation of ythe devicekvvhereby the level of the liquid at the burner nozzle or other outlet is substantially constant. In order to break the Siphon which vforms between the supply4 reservoir and the vacuum tank While the latter is being replenished, means is provided for automatically admitting air tothe liquid passage at a point above the highest liquid level of the system. l y

ln` the construction herein shown, the in* vention isapplied to an oil fuel feeding apparatus, including a'v main supply reservoir 1, and a vacuum tank 2flocated belovv the liquid level of the reservoir, andfconnectedv loo toanenhaust pump 3 `and aburner nozzle y lil to he both supported near the ioor 5 of a building, represented at 6. A liller pipe 7 extends 'from the reservoir 1 to a Window 8, so as Ato facilitate iilling otthe reservoir. The usual vent pipe 7.1 also extends from the reservoir to a` point outside ot the builds ing. Y

'lhc vacuum tank herein shown comprises the usual vacuum compartment 9, arranged to discharge its liquid contents by gravity to an outer supply coiiipai'tiiieiit 10 through a passage 11 controlled by the usual flap valve 12,vvhich is arranged to be opened by the gravity flow of the liquid when the suction compartment 9 isvrestored .to atmospheric pressure. i i

rihe'suction Compartment 9 communicates with the supply reservoir 1 through a. liquid passage or conduit 13, and with the exhaust motor 3 througha suction-conduit 14. A vent tube 15 forms the usual atmospheric relief. The suction conduit 1st and vent tube 15 are controlled by valves 16 and 17 respectively, whicharc connected by levers 18 and 19 and link 2O 'to a float 21, so that the suction con'ipartment 9 will be alternately connected with the exhaust means 3 and with the atmosphere, asis Well understood in the art. Y Y' rEhe 'outer compartment 10 connnunicates With the vent tube 15, through an' air passage 21, and communicates with the burner nozzle 4t through a conduit or liquid passage 22. The outer compartment 10 is considerably larger in diameter than the inner compartment 9, so that, When the liquid in the latter is discharged into the former the liquid level in the outer compartment is varied only slightly. y.

After a flow of liquid from the reservoir 1 Vto the vacuum tank 2 has been started by the suction in the compartiniuit 9; a siphon torms in the liquid passage 13 which, ii" not broken, would continue until the entire reservoir had been drained. rllhe improved means'herein shownffor'breaking the Siphon comprises an air tube 23, which arranged to auton'iatically direct troni the coinpartment 9 to the liquid passage '13, at a point above the highest level ol the liquid inthe system when the float 2l. has been lifted suiiiciently to open the air valve 1T and close the suc( ion valve 16. The lower end ofthe air conduit 3 is connected to the top 'of the vacuum tank, as shown in 2, and the upper end thereof is connected to `a coupling 211, which is arranged in the air passage 13, and which is located at a point above the mouth of the filler pipe 7. In order to prevent the liquid in the passage from entering the air passage 23, a short tube is arranged Within thecoupling 2li so as to direct the liquid beyond the -upper end ot the air pipe 23. rthis tube 25 is of considerably less dia-meter than the couplin 21 so as not to interfere with the admission ot air to the liquid passage in breaking the siphon.

rlfhe burner nozzle i is located slightly above the highest jlevel ot' the liquid in the compartment 10 of the vacuum tank so that the liquid inthe conduit 22 is readily drawn into the nozzle by the air which is forced through the burner, or as readily ted to an oil pump or other device.

in operation, in the lowermost position oli' the float 21, the vacuum chamber 9 is in communication with v the exhaust pump 3 which closes the valve 12 and draws liquid from the reservoir 1 to the ioat chamber 9, lhen the tloat21 rises to a predetermined level, the chamber 9 is restored to atmospheric pressure by the closing of the valve 16 and the simultaneous opening of the valve 17. The air in the chamber 9 is then directed through the passage 23 to the coupling 24 so as to break the Siphon in t-her liquid passage 13. lVhen atmospheric pressure is restored to the chamber 9, the liquid therein passes downwardly through the passage 11 to the compartmentlO. The liquid level in the compart-ment 10 varies only slightly between consecutive operations of the device so that the liquid in the conduit 22 is maintained at a substantially constant level.

Although but one specific embodiment 0I" this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous detailsA of the construction shown may be altered or omitted Without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims z- I claim:

l. In a liquid feeding apparatus, the comhination withy a supply reservoir adapted to contain a liquich'ot a receiving chamber, a liquid passage adapted to provide siphonic connnunica tion between said reservoir and chamber and extendingabove the highest liquid level ot' said reservoir,4 mechanism adapted to intermittently torce liquid through said passage to said receiving chamber, an air passage communicating with said lliquid passage at a point between the highest liquid level of said reservoir and the highest part ot' said liquid passage, a de- -lector arranged within said liquid passage adjacent the air inlet port for preventing liquid from entering said air passage, and means controlled by the level oi the liquid in said chamber for opening said air aassage to the atmosphere to break the sip on in said liquid passage.

2,111 a liquid feeding apparat-us, a vacuum tube, a reservoir, a siphon connection from the tank to the reservoir, means for exhaust-ing the airy in the tank, Vmeans governed by the amount of liquid in the tank for alternately opening and closing the titl tank, said siphon connection having an air chamber in the downiiovv side located above the highest level of fluid in the reservoir, said chamber opening downwardly into the stream of fluid, and a pipe connection from the tank to said chamber.

3. In a liquid feeding apparatus, a vacuum tank, a reservoir, a Siphon connect-ion from the tank to the reservoir, means for alternately exhausting the tank and opening the tank up to the atmosphere, a coupling in the downflow side of said Siphon connection located above the highest fluid level in the reservoir, said coupling having a downwardly projecting nozzle providing an air chamber shielded from the stream of the liquid, and a pipe connecting the tank to said chamber. Y

Signed at Chicago this 4th day of April, 1925.

JOHN nBoLLING. 

